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    Canonfire :: View topic - Amazons of Oerth
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    Amazons of Oerth
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    Journeyman Greytalker

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    Fri Dec 04, 2015 5:20 am  
    Amazons of Oerth

    Do Amazons dwell in Hardby, as the Minifigs line suggests?

    Hepmonaland?
    Amedio?

    West of the Paynims?

    They have a listing as monsters in AD&D 2E, with the Greyhawk logo on the page.

    Any Amazons of whatever sort in your GH?
    Apprentice Greytalker

    Joined: Aug 11, 2001
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    From: Next to Nowhere NV

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    Fri Dec 04, 2015 5:27 pm  

    If you have the Amedio Jungle map from Scarlet Brotherhood (which can be viewed on this wiki) you will see a small group of islands called the Mist Kingdom. For many years, our ongoing campaign has placed a loose confederation of Amazon clans there.

    The placement between the Pirate Isles and the Amedio jungle (mainland) was deliberate. It allowed us to pit corsairs versus Amazons. The Amazons almost never leave their islands while the corsairs occasionally raid.

    Other details you might (or might not find of interest):

    The islands themselves are more like those found in the south China Sea of Earth; that is they are moderately tall (600' ft+ outcroppings) with limited habitable space and almost no beaches. They are riddled with caves from below the sea level to almost the crown of each island outcropping.

    Localized weather surrounds the entire chain in mist nearly all the time, the condensation of this mist creates many small streams which from numerous waterfalls (which contribute back to the mist cover).

    Vegetation is heavy and the wildlife is plentiful.

    The entire chain of islands is surrounded by fairly deep (200' ft) waters which have an abundance of life.

    An interesting feature (that is almost completely unknown) is that the entire chain is connected via large (40' ft across) hexagonal tubes.

    In our campaign this was never explained but was considered to most likely be a link to the spell weavers.

    The Amazon clans themselves are barbarians with a few druids and shamans.
    Adept Greytalker

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    From: Verbobonc

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    Fri Dec 04, 2015 9:33 pm  

    Hardby is a matriarchy, but I would not consider the women Amazons. They have a culture that generally fits the pattern of the central Flanaess, with the only exception being that inheritance falls within the females of the despotrix's family; in fact, I am not sure if that rule even extends outside the family to the rest of Hardby.

    As far as the classical Amazon, they never really seem to me to fit into the Flanaess, but that does not mean to that a place like the Mist Kingdom or other exotic locale could not contain them.
    Black Hand of Oblivion

    Joined: Feb 16, 2003
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    Fri Dec 04, 2015 11:50 pm  

    One might consider the women of Hardby to be Amazon-ish, but they are more simply warrior women in a world where women are not usually warriors. Accordingly, one might say there are many more warrior women in Hardby than elsewhere. Oddly enough, Hardby is very often ruled by women who are not warriors, but mages. Outside of the Flanaess there are plenty of places one could put a more true Amazon culture.
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    Last edited by Cebrion on Thu Dec 10, 2015 2:36 am; edited 1 time in total
    GreySage

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    Sat Dec 05, 2015 3:45 am  

    Places within the Flanaess I think it would be interesting to place Amazonian cultures, or at least, Amazonian tribes amongst the more commonly known patriarchal tribes:

    The Amedio Jungle and Hepmonaland are obvious choices.

    The Olman Islands could have smaller populations of Amazons.

    The Rovers of the Barrens, the Wolf Nomads, and the Tiger Nomads could all have a few tribes within their nations that have a tradition of women warriors. Perhaps the men in those tribes serve more often as clerics/shamans/ sorcerers/etc.

    The Hold of Stonefist may have a tradition where each village sends its finest female youth to train as a personal bodyguard to the Hetman himself.

    The barbarians of the Thillonrian peninsula would certainly be familiar with female warriors, but perhaps there are a few tribes of women only hiding high in the mountains, away from the rule of men. They keep their existence as secret as possible.

    Perhaps the celtic civilization of Geoff honors female warriors by giving them positions of leadership or putting them together in special forces units of all women.

    Certainly, the Yeomanry trains its women to fight as well as the men. Perhaps there are all-women mercenary units that can be recruited from that nation.

    The Mage of the Valley may employ female Valley Elves or even female drow in special units to guard his valley.

    Humanoid tribes within the Pomarj, Bone March, and elsewhere may have matriarchal traditions which encourage their females to be warriors instead of just breeders.

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    Journeyman Greytalker

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    Sat Dec 05, 2015 4:36 pm  

    Given the way Gary described Lady Deirdre in the book Artifact of Evil, I thought it was pretty clear that he considered the women of Hardby to be very Amazon-ish.
    GreySage

    Joined: Aug 03, 2001
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    Sat Dec 05, 2015 9:26 pm  

    There's also Yevele from Quag Keep.

    Quote:
    "You have heard of the Rieving of Keo the Less?"

    For a moment he sought a way into his memory which had so many strange things hidden in it. Then he drew a deep breath. The answer to the name she spoke—it was something out of the darkness that ever lurked menacingly at the heels of any who swore by Law. It was treachery so black that it blotted the dark pages of Chaos's own accounting—death so hideous a man might retch out his guts if he thought too long upon it.

    "But that—"

    "Lies years behind us, yes." Her voice was as even and controlled as Ingrege's ever was. "And why should such as I think upon that horror? I am one born to the sword way, you know the practice of the Northern Bands. Those who ride under the Unicorn have a choice after their thirtieth year—they may then wish a union, to become a mother, if the High Horned Lady favors an enlargement of her followers. Then the child, being always a girl, is trained from birth in the ways of the One Clan of her heritage.

    "My mother, having put aside the Unicorn and followed her will of union, became swordmistress and teacher. But our clan fell into hard days and there were three harvests that were too thin to support any but the old and the very young. Therefore, those who were still hearty of arm, who could ride and fight—and my mother was a Valkyrie"—Yevele's head lifted proudly,—"took council together. They were, by custom, unable to join the companies again, but they had such skills as were valuable in the open market wherein sword and spear may be lawfully sold. My clan—there were twenty-five who swore leadership to my mother. They came then to Greyhawk to bargain—settling for their pay in advance so that they might send back to the clan hold enough to keep life in the bodies of those they cherished. Then, under my mother's command, they took service with Regor of Var—

    Milo's memory flinched away from what that name summoned.

    "Those who were lucky died," Yevele continued dispassionately. "My mother was not lucky. When they were through with her. . . . But no matter. I have settled two debts for that and the settlement hangs at the Moon shrine of the clan. I took blood oath when I took the sword of a full clan sister. That is why I do not ride with any Band, but I am a Seeker."


    Given the reference to unicorns, the Horned Lady is most likely Ehlonna, or might as well be.
    Journeyman Greytalker

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    Sun Dec 06, 2015 4:01 pm  

    Fun stuff, guys!

    RE GreyMage and the SB book by SKR, Mist Kingdom

    Yes, I have the book complete with the map.

    Has your campaign involved a lot of piracy, sea and island exploration, maritime trade, and so on?


    RE Hardy
    I could go with any of several approaches to this one.

    But I seem to recall the 1998 Player's Guide to GH suggests that thugs (as in the thief kit, a version of which is presented in the PGtGH) are almost always men, except in Hardy. Or words to that effect. Anyway, big , tough gals with saps.

    I do rather like a role reversal idea here. Maybe native Hardby men tend to somewhat small and weak by common male standards while the women tend to be big strapping gals with appetites to match their stature.
    Something in the water, perhaps. More likely something to do with one of the Suloise gods, perhaps Wee Jas.
    Watch out boys, she's a man-eater!
    GreySage

    Joined: Aug 03, 2001
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    From: Michigan

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    Sun Dec 06, 2015 7:17 pm  

    In -278 CY, Norbe Harbor came under attack.

    The invaders, led by the Oeridian tribal leader—a self-proclaimed king—called Carahast, were well-organized and fanatic followers of Erythnul the Many. Worse, they bore Vecna's own hand-scribed copy of the Book of Vile Darkness, won on a raid during their passage through the chaos of the lich-lord's former empire. With fire and undead they tore down Norbe Harbor's wooden palisade walls and put the town's men to the sword.

    The women they enslaved. Carahast's eldest son warned the invaders that Suloise women were all witches, however, and Carahast responded by ordering the women of Norbe Harbor have their tongues cut out.

    Six months later, Carahast's sons began dying. The eldest was found sans his head, his tongue nailed to his chest. The next in line had been hacked into even more pieces. Then Carahast himself, dead from poison in his drink, and the short-lived kingdom dissolved in infighting between the remaining heirs.

    The leader of the women, Ena Norbe, had taught the other slaves to communicate using a system of signs, and slowly taught them the arts of poison and blade. With Carahast defeated, she established the Gynarchy of Hard Bay, renaming the town in honor of the tribulations they had gone through. The citizens declared the town a sanctuary for women, opening their newly constructed gates to female victims of abuse and oppression throughout the land, but forbidding males from entering the inner gates, which were the exclusive domain of women.

    This restriction has been observed to the present day. Hardby's walls are stronger than ever, made of stone and twenty feet thick, with murder holes guarding the tunnel leading to the inner sanctum. In the inner town are homes, a hospital, the palace of the Despotrix, and temples to the town's favored goddesses: Wee Jas, Osprem, Lydia, Beltar, Syrul, Ehlonna, Mayaheine, Beory, and Lendor the Creatrix, depicted as a matronly elven woman with a sinuous silver dragon coiled around her body.

    Outside the inner gates is the outer town, where men are permitted to come and trade, stay in inns, and meet with the warrior-women of Hardby for rare sexual liaisons, should a Hardby woman see fit. Boys born in the inner town are exiled to the outer town when they come of age; the most famous of these was Zagig Yragerne. The outer town, too, has sturdy walls, though not so high nor so thick as the inner town.

    Beyond the walls of the outer town, men are permitted to not just come to trade and briefly stay, but live. There are houses, temples of both male and female deities, even male-owned businesses; though these are not protected by Hardby's walls, they benefit from Hardby's closeness and the fearsome reputation of its armed forces.

    The amazons of Hardby are renowned for their martial training, and there are no few magesses and priestesses in the town too. Though they keep their tongues, the system of hand signals created by Ena Norbe are still taught, their meaning kept secret from outsiders, valued for their use in communicating across the din of a battlefield or their silence when stealth is required. Though some amazons do choose to meet with men for the purposes of reproduction, Hardby also keeps itself populated by welcoming women from Greyhawk, the Wild Coast, the Bright Desert, the Duchy of Urnst, and beyond, opening its gates to all who desire sanctuary from the world of men.
    Journeyman Greytalker

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    Wed Dec 09, 2015 7:14 am  

    Pretty hardcore,Rasgon!

    I like the Erythnul reference. He's one of my favorite evil gods.
    Apprentice Greytalker

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    Sun Dec 13, 2015 1:03 am  

    CM,

    At that point in the campaign, there was a lot of maritime play. Midlevel stuff was mostly pirates, after about 12th level or so, moved more onto exploration; especially using Rick Miller's Oerth map. A lot of stuff in the Ocean of Tempests and the continent of Antaria.

    Basically used the Charonti from Jakandor, Isle of Destiny for the Unliving Empire found in Antaria.

    Lots and lots of undead goodness (ok, badness down there)
    Journeyman Greytalker

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    Sun Dec 13, 2015 6:35 am  

    GreyMage wrote:
    CM,

    At that point in the campaign, there was a lot of maritime play. Midlevel stuff was mostly pirates, after about 12th level or so, moved more onto exploration; especially using Rick Miller's Oerth map. A lot of stuff in the Ocean of Tempests and the continent of Antaria.

    Basically used the Charonti from Jakandor, Isle of Destiny for the Unliving Empire found in Antaria.

    Lots and lots of undead goodness (ok, badness down there)


    Jakandor is one I keep meaning to check out. The books turn up online at low prices, from time to time.
    Apprentice Greytalker

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    Sun Dec 13, 2015 2:25 pm  

    Jakandor is, of course, an Advanced Dungeons and Dragons source, so there is some work required to bring it up to date (in our case, it started out as AD&D, then moved to d20 and now is PF).

    But the underlying material is very good. Practically golden.

    CM, have you looked at Realm Works yet?
    Journeyman Greytalker

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    Sun Dec 13, 2015 4:58 pm  

    GreyMage wrote:
    Jakandor is, of course, an Advanced Dungeons and Dragons source, so there is some work required to bring it up to date (in our case, it started out as AD&D, then moved to d20 and now is PF).

    But the underlying material is very good. Practically golden.

    CM, have you looked at Realm Works yet?


    I have not seen Realm Works, no. Linky?

    I have run some GH campaigns and adventures with B/X, AD&D 2E, and (very briefly) 3E.
    Oh, and PF for a one shot.
    These days I pretty much stick with B/X or AD&D 2@E for Dungeons and Dragons gaming.
    Apprentice Greytalker

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    Mon Dec 14, 2015 11:03 am  

    Realm Works (http://www.wolflair.com/realmworks/) is probably the best campaign management software in development. It is from the same people that make HeroLab.

    I am in the middle of putting in the entirety of our 30 year campaign: history, NPCs, etc. And while I will probably put the binder in a footlocker somewhere, I shall certainly not miss them.

    Give it a look and let me know what you think.

    You might wish to pay special attention to the fact that realms (databases) can be shared.
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